A first-year student captures Chinese landscapes in winning photo

Every year, the Santa Clara University community gets a glimpse of the world through Global Engagement’s Photo Contest. Through these images, international students and domestic students traveling abroad showcase new cultures and their place within them. This year’s contest winner, Wenrui Shang ’29, shares his love of photography and the story behind the shot in his own words.

I first got into photography in junior high school. I was always trying to capture every moment around me. What I love most about it is that I can pick up a camera, go somewhere, and share what I see with people who have never been to that place. I like bringing my home to the wider world, to let people feel the beauty and culture of China, and where I come from.

When I go somewhere, I want to feel the soul of that city and learn about its culture. I don’t just take a photo and leave.

Lijiang is a historical city in China’s far southwest, known for being a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It sits at a high altitude, which gives the air a certain clarity that photographers love. The mountain in the photo is the Jade Dragon Snow Mountain, along the southernmost glacier in the northern hemisphere. The 13 peaks in the mountain range are always covered in snow, all year round. It looks like a silver dragon.

I traveled to Lijiang from my hometown of Chongqing with my family last February after I received my college offers. I checked the forecast and light angles before heading out, and I woke up at 5 a.m. because the blue hour that day fell around 7 a.m, and I needed to find a spot where I could include both the traditional temple and the snowy mountains in the same frame. It ended up being my favorite photo I took from that whole year.

The landscape in that part of China is distinctive. The southwestern region sits near the Himalayas, so there are snow mountains, lakes, and beautiful scenery everywhere you look. But there is also the culture of Lijiang, because the Old Town has about 800 years of history. Unlike many historic places, Lijiang is a living city—locals still make their lives there among the traditional architecture. That is also what I wanted to share.

I felt so happy when I found out I won Santa Clara’s photo contest. But more than the win, what mattered to me was that it gave me a platform—a way to share my experience with the university, to show everyone what the scenery of my home region looks like, and to bring a piece of Chinese culture here.

I really love Santa Clara University. The landscape here in the Bay Area is so different from China. The culture, too, is so different from what I grew up with. I find myself curious about all of it.